Outgoing German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said on Thursday that both he and designated chancellor Angelor Merkel supported former Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka as the new chief of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

"Marek Belka is qualified for the office of OECD secretary general both as a person and given his professional skills," Schroeder said in a statement.

Schroeder, who is to be replaced by Merkel later this month, said he had called Belka to express his support for him to be the OECD chief.

Donald Johnstan, present secretary general of the Paris-based OECD, will ended his term in May 2006 and his successor must be decided by December 1.

The OECD, which groups 30 member countries, was created as an economic counterpart to NATO in 1961 and its mission has been to help governments achieve sustainable economic growth, employment and maintaining financial stability.

Source: Xinhua